All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do. – Exodus 35:29

Today's Scripture Reading (October 22, 2021): Exodus 35

Christian Film Producer, Stephen Kendrick, argues that the "word is 'willing.' It's an attitude and spirit of cooperation that should permeate our conversations. It's like a palm tree by the ocean that endures the greatest winds because it knows how to gracefully bend." In a changing world, our willingness to adapt to change and to co-operate with each other is of supreme importance. We have a choice. We can dig in our heels and resist change, wanting things to stay the same, or we can bend like Kendrick's palm tree. If we choose the first, we will become brittle, and, eventually, we will break. Our attitude will become bitter, and we will be of little use to the world around us. But if we choose the second path, we will live our lives with grace and be part of actively changing our environment. But the choice is always ours.

As Israel moves into their new realities, they are asked to do tasks they had never before performed. God had given Israel everything they needed for their new venture, but everything needed to adapt to their new world remained in their control. They needed to be willing to give and co-operate, which was in direct contrast to their former lives. As slaves, they would have learned to secure whatever little they possessed. To use whatever they owned to protect their lives and those of their families. They didn't have much, and so everything they did have was of immense value. But now, they were being asked to go against everything they knew and give it all away.

Repeatedly in this section, Exodus stresses that the people had to be willing to give. If they were willing. They had to be willing to provide materials for the work, willing to give of their talents, and if they had neither of those things, willing to give whatever they had so that Israel could meet its future and learn to worship their God.

But nothing was to be forced. The people had to be willing because if they could make this transition, they might be able to make other transitions that still lay in front of them. But if they didn't, then they would become brittle and die. That kind of change couldn't be forced. They had to learn to be willing and to continue to be willing as the changing circumstances continued to build around them.

They had a choice, be willing to adapt to their environment or live according to the reality they knew as slaves. One path led to life, but the other could only lead to death in the desert. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 36